Centaure is the new armored vehicle of the French Gendarmerie.

The recent acquisition of the new Armored Crowd Control Vehicles (VBMO) by the French National Gendarmerie has drawn scrutiny from the French Court of Auditors in its report on mobile forces, published on April 3rd. Originally initiated in December 2020 as part of the economic recovery plan related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program gained momentum with the purchase of 80 new vehicles, estimated at 65-70 million euros.
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Centaure wheeled armored vehicle at Eurosatory defense exhibition in 2023 in Paris, France (Picture source: ArmyRecognition)

Soframe has been selected to supply the VBMO, now renamed "Centaure," which was deployed during urban riots in June 2023. Despite praise from the General Director of the National Gendarmerie, General Christian Rodriguez, the Court of Auditors raised concerns about the program's management.

The model chosen by the gendarmerie is named "ARIVE," standing for Armored Infantry Vehicle. This robust 4x4 armored vehicle weighs 14.5 tons, which is two tons heavier than its predecessor, the VBRG. It measures 6.2 meters in length, 2.45 meters in width, and 2.5 meters in height. Unlike its predecessor, it uniformly possesses capabilities for pushing and clearance, thanks to blades mounted on pneumatic cylinders at the front of the vehicle. Finally, these vehicles will be equipped with modern optronic equipment and updated capabilities for remote-controlled firing and grenade launching.

In its recent report, the Court of Auditors questioned several aspects of the Centaure acquisition. It highlighted that the rapid specification of requirements, due to the urgent need for fund disbursement related to the recovery plan, led to initial gaps in defining technical needs, particularly regarding vehicle maintenance. A maintenance plan was subsequently added to the technical specifications.

Furthermore, the Court noted that the design and technical specifications of the Centaure were finalized before the definition of its final use, which was only decided on December 14, 2023. It also questioned the decision to acquire 90 Centaure units to replace an equal number of Armored Wheeled Vehicles of the Gendarmerie (VBRG), suggesting that this increased versatility might imply a reduction in fleet numbers of other military systems.

Despite justifications by the National Gendarmerie, the Court of Auditors remained skeptical about the Centaures' suitability for their actual use. It pointed out that other security forces, such as the National Police, have not shown particular interest in using this vehicle. These observations have raised questions about the relevance of acquiring the Centaures and their integration into law enforcement and public security operations.

In response to the criticisms from the Court of Auditors, the Ministry of the Interior defended the Centaure acquisition project as a "successful strategic project." However, it acknowledged shortcomings in the maintenance plan proposed by Soframe and indicated that additional work was underway to adapt to the new national mobility support scheme. Moreover, the ministry stated that the technical presentations of the Centaure to the National Police had generated significant interest, despite the doubts expressed by the Court of Auditors.

Defense News April 2024